Hearn turns down title shot for AJ???

[Primo Carnera]

Charles Martin: Anthony Joshua Scared To Fight on April 9 - Boxing News
So what do we think about this? It's interesting if it's true. I know Hearn wants to build AJ Gradually, but sometimes an opportunity presents itself when you least expect it. And sometimes you have to take that opportunity.
Charles Martin is a decent fighter, but if you want to be World Champion, there are more difficult propositions. AND he wanted to come over here.

[Vendettos]

Charles Martin: Anthony Joshua Scared To Fight on April 9 - Boxing News
So what do we think about this? It's interesting if it's true. I know Hearn wants to build AJ Gradually, but sometimes an opportunity presents itself when you least expect it. And sometimes you have to take that opportunity.
Charles Martin is a decent fighter, but if you want to be World Champion, there are more difficult propositions. AND he wanted to come over here.

He just had his first decent test and he was rocked pretty badly.

I can understand why they'd avoid this fight mate.

[Vendettos]

Charles Martin: Anthony Joshua Scared To Fight on April 9 - Boxing News
So what do we think about this? It's interesting if it's true. I know Hearn wants to build AJ Gradually, but sometimes an opportunity presents itself when you least expect it. And sometimes you have to take that opportunity.
Charles Martin is a decent fighter, but if you want to be World Champion, there are more difficult propositions. AND he wanted to come over here.

He just had his first decent test and he was rocked pretty badly.

I can understand why they'd avoid this fight mate.

Also it isnt like itll be hard for AJ to get a few shots at a world title throughout his career.

[erics44]

Charles Martin: Anthony Joshua Scared To Fight on April 9 - Boxing News
So what do we think about this? It's interesting if it's true. I know Hearn wants to build AJ Gradually, but sometimes an opportunity presents itself when you least expect it. And sometimes you have to take that opportunity.
Charles Martin is a decent fighter, but if you want to be World Champion, there are more difficult propositions. AND he wanted to come over here.

I agree, id have taken it

he may never get a better chance

look at david price, before the Thompson fights if he had have got a shot at martin (or a champ of the same level) you wouldn't have grumbled

he wont get many opportunities now

[Primo Carnera]

Charles Martin: Anthony Joshua Scared To Fight on April 9 - Boxing News
So what do we think about this? It's interesting if it's true. I know Hearn wants to build AJ Gradually, but sometimes an opportunity presents itself when you least expect it. And sometimes you have to take that opportunity.
Charles Martin is a decent fighter, but if you want to be World Champion, there are more difficult propositions. AND he wanted to come over here.

He just had his first decent test and he was rocked pretty badly.

I can understand why they'd avoid this fight mate.

Also it isnt like itll be hard for AJ to get a few shots at a world title throughout his career.

Yeah , he will get plenty of opportunities, agreed. But whether any are as Winnable as this , I'm not sure.
I don't mean to disrespect Martin , because I haven't seen a lot of him, and he does look decent. But, 3 months ago, when he wasn't champ, I don't think people would've been over worried if AJ had him lined up as his next opponent.
It's not like he won in outstanding fashion. not his fault , but it was pretty bizarre and proved nothing about him.
say for instance, AJ won, he'd be champ, he won't be going straight in with Wlad, Wilder or Fury, it never works like that. He would have 2 or 3 relatively straightforward defences to build his profile even further. He would still only be fighting the top guys at the same time as he's looking now , except it would be as a unification as an established champion rather than as a challenger.

[p4pking]

I don't see it as a gimme for Joshua, has he ever even fought a southpaw before? Martin isn't special, but he's pretty decent, is about the same size as AJ exactly and does have a bit of a punch. If you think Dillian Whyte was some monster and AJ is ready for anyone after that fine, but I don't buy it just yet. That was a very good fight, but not a terrific showing imo.

[Fenster]

"World" champion calling out a prospect?

They're gonna need a bigger venue than the O2 when AJ fights for a "world" title.

[Primo Carnera]

I don't see it as a gimme for Joshua, has he ever even fought a southpaw before? Martin isn't special, but he's pretty decent, is about the same size as AJ exactly and does have a bit of a punch. If you think Dillian Whyte was some monster and AJ is ready for anyone after that fine, but I don't buy it just yet. That was a very good fight, but not a terrific showing imo.

I don't think it's a gimme, far from it. But it's a World Title shot, so it's never gonna be a gimme. It's a fair point about him being a Southpaw. But again, if this fight was made 3 months ago as a learning fight with a Good Southpaw, bearing in mind everyone wants AJ to get rounds, I'm not sure too many people would've complained.

[IamInuit]

People don’t take risks in this market. Like I've said, it’s become a caricature of itself. I agree with @Primo Carnera 110%. You need to grasp these chances and at this point even if he lost it wouldn’t hurt him. Later it could ruin his career. People are talking about Bruno's comeback and the comparisons have been made but Frank given the same circumstances would have taken this fight. Risk and Reward and the fundamentals it stands for in this sport have eroded. It’s now a rape of the rewards w/o any risk. Nobody had ever heard of Martin and his title fight was viewed as a joke because of the opponents and because it was a throwaway title by Fury. Now it’s too big a risk for boxing’s newest deliverer of heavyweight purgatory. And to offer to come to England, I already like the guy. Big deal that Whyte gave him some issues. Joshua probably fought that fight on nervous energy and the event however trivial to the outside world occupied much of his because of the past. It wasn’t Mayorga/Forrest.

[Master]

I think it is sensible not to rush AJ to the world level. He does not want to be another Wilder making east defences and still learning his trade defending the title. Joshua is still relatively inexperienced.

[denilson200]

Charles Martin: Anthony Joshua Scared To Fight on April 9 - Boxing News
So what do we think about this? It's interesting if it's true. I know Hearn wants to build AJ Gradually, but sometimes an opportunity presents itself when you least expect it. And sometimes you have to take that opportunity.
Charles Martin is a decent fighter, but if you want to be World Champion, there are more difficult propositions. AND he wanted to come over here.

Charles Martin is shit.

Who is he ?

Says everything about who brings more to the table when a champ is calling out a prospect. Scared of Martin ? The fact is when AJ does fight for a world title he'll almost certainly be fighting against someone better than Martin. I agree with Hearn. AJ is going to be around for long time. Let him build. Let him grow.

[Spicoli]

Lets be honest Joshua is the one with the name and the future here, and he's not even sniffed a "title" yet. Martin was maneuvered here to simply warm a belt and serve as opponent for the one that chooses him. Joshua has options.

[p4pking]

To play devils advocate and completely disregard the alphabet stuff; if Charles Martin were a Brit, isn't it possible this scenario would be completely reversed? It's a perfectly good fight on paper. I really don't think Joshua is half as good as some people on here seem to. Wait and see, I guess.

[Fenster]

Does anyone seriously believe the newly crowned "world" champ is travelling across the world to get chinned by a relative novice in his first defense?

Saying i'll fight everyman and his dog is par for the course in boxing. The most important part is how much dough do you want to fight everyman and his dog.

[Spicoli]

Does anyone seriously believe the newly crowned "world" champ is travelling across the world to get chinned by a relative novice in his first defense?

Saying i'll fight everyman and his dog is par for the course in boxing. The most important part is how much dough do you want to fight everyman and his dog.

Didn't work out to well for Michael Bent now did it . Save for the relative novice part. Sort of.